Miles Pharmacy Blog

Unknown Facts about chicken pox vaccination

Wednesday, 22 April 2020 09:30:43 Europe/London

Also known as Varicella, Chicken Pox is a disease that is mainly caused by the Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV). Symptoms include highly painful, blister-like rashes all over the body along with fever, cough, and headaches. The disease is highly contagious and the symptoms start developing within 10-1 days after being in contact with the infected person. Though the disease is mild, meaning its symptoms fade away in 5-10 days, it has even been fatal for infants and adults who have an already compromised immune system. The best way to prevent the occurrence of this disease is by vaccinating against it.

Just like any other viral disease, to prevent it from causing an epidemic, theChickenpox vaccinehas been developed, which is known as the Varicella vaccine. The vaccine is highly effective in protecting against severe chickenpox. The vaccine has been available since March 1995 and is approved for use in healthy children aged up to 12 months and susceptible adults and teenagers. Since the day the vaccination was licensed, more than 6 million vaccines have been administered.

Dosage, administration and composition

Persons ranging from healthcare workers, college students, military personnel and international workers to non-pregnant women of childbearing age, staff and inmates of correctional institutions and international travellers should receive special considerations for travel immunization against Chickenpox because they are at a higher risk for transmission. Travel Clinic Epsomrecommends 2 doses of chickenpox vaccine to protect against the varicella zoster virus. The effectiveness of the vaccine is approximately 80% post first dose and near about 92-95% after consecutive 2 doses. The risk of getting chickenpox after 2 doses of Boots chickenpoxvaccine is comparatively lower. The vaccine contains attenuated, live VZV which is derived from the Oka strain.

It is typically suggested by the Travel vaccine clinic that every child needs to be routinely vaccinated at 12 to 18 months of age and every susceptible child should receive the vaccine before they reach their 13th birthday. It must also be noted that some people who are vaccinated against chickenpox, may still be susceptible to the disease, but the symptoms usually turn milder with no fever and fewer or lesser blisters.

Varicella vaccination is generally well tolerated but there may be some general contradictions for the virus. Therefore people who have a primary or acquired immunodeficiency, suffer from a history of anaphylactoid reaction to neomycin, gelatin or any other component of the vaccine, is reviewing prolonged immunosuppressive therapy or has blood dyscrasias should not receive varicella vaccine.